#freezing eggs for the future

[jamesonsam]

Egg Freezing: Empowering Women for the Future

Egg freezing, also known as oocyte cryopreservation, is a remarkable medical procedure that allows women to preserve their eggs for future use. This technology has gained tremendous popularity in recent years and is widely regarded as a proactive approach for women who have the desire to delay childbearing for various reasons. Egg freezing is definitely an astounding breakthrough in reproductive technology and is widely seen as a blessing for women for various reasons. Here are some exciting aspects of egg freezing and how it can empower women for the future: 

 1. Preserving Fertility for Future Family Planning

One of the most exciting aspects of egg freezing is its ability to preserve a woman’s fertility at a time when she may not yet be ready for children. Women are born with a finite number of eggs, and their fertility declines with age, particularly after the age of 35. By freezing eggs at a younger age, women can preserve their fertility and have the option to conceive later in life when they feel more prepared—whether they are focused on their career, education, or personal aspirations.

2. Gaining Control Over Reproductive Choices

Egg freezing provides women with a level of control over their reproductive future that was previously unimaginable. Instead of feeling pressured to have children by a certain age, women can take proactive steps to manage their fertility. This can be especially valuable in a society where many women are choosing to delay marriage and childbirth for various reasons. With egg freezing, the decision to start a family can be made on their own timeline, free from the constraints of age-related fertility decline.

3. Improved Success Rates with Advancements in Technology

In recent years, advancements in egg freezing technology have significantly improved the success rates of the process. Modern techniques, such as vitrification (a rapid freezing method), have made it easier to preserve eggs with higher survival rates, leading to better outcomes when women decide to use their frozen eggs for in vitro fertilization (IVF). These advancements mean that egg freezing is becoming a more reliable option for women who want to maximize their chances of a successful pregnancy later in life.

4. Empowerment for Women in the Workplace

Women today are more engaged in the workforce than ever before, and many are choosing to delay motherhood in order to focus on their careers. Egg freezing can empower women to pursue professional goals without the pressure of worrying about their biological clock. Whether climbing the corporate ladder, pursuing higher education, or achieving personal milestones, egg freezing gives women the freedom to focus on their aspirations while maintaining the possibility of having children when they are ready.

5. Reducing Pressure from Biological Clocks

Biological clocks can be a source of stress for women, especially as they approach their 30s and 40s. Egg freezing can alleviate the pressure by offering a safety net for fertility. By freezing eggs at a younger age, women can increase their chances of having children later in life, potentially eliminating the anxiety that comes with the natural decline in fertility. This allows women to make decisions based on personal readiness rather than a perceived “deadline.”

6. Providing Options for Women with Medical Conditions

Egg freezing is also an invaluable tool for women facing medical conditions that may affect their fertility. For example, women undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer can freeze their eggs before starting treatment, preserving their fertility in case their reproductive system is affected. Similarly, women with conditions like endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may choose egg freezing to ensure that they have viable eggs for future pregnancy, especially if their conditions impair fertility.

7. Aiding Single Women and Women Without Partners

Egg freezing offers single women and women who are not in a relationship the opportunity to preserve their fertility and pursue motherhood at a later stage, even if they have not yet found a partner. This is especially important in today’s society, where women are increasingly choosing to marry and have children later in life, or even consider single parenthood. Egg freezing allows them to maintain the possibility of having biological children when they are ready, regardless of their relationship status.

8. Enhanced Peace of Mind and Reproductive Security

Knowing that fertility has been preserved provides women with peace of mind. The thought of having children later in life can be less daunting when women know they have viable eggs stored, ready for use in the future. This enhanced security allows women to make decisions about relationships, career, and lifestyle without the worry that their fertility window is closing.

9. Paving the Way for Future Generations

Egg freezing is not just a benefit for individual women—it also represents a step toward greater reproductive equality for future generations. By empowering women to control their reproductive timeline, egg freezing can contribute to a more equitable society where women have equal opportunities to pursue both their personal and professional goals without sacrificing their reproductive options.

10. A Groundbreaking Option for Women Facing Age-Related Infertility

Age-related infertility is a significant concern for many women. As women age, the quality and quantity of their eggs naturally decline, making it harder to conceive. Egg freezing allows women to “freeze” their fertility at a time when they are most fertile, and when they are ready to start a family, they can use their younger, healthier eggs. This breakthrough provides women with a powerful tool to combat age-related infertility, giving them a better chance at successful pregnancy later in life. 

Egg freezing is a groundbreaking advancement that gives women the ability to take control of their reproductive futures. Whether for career, personal choice, or medical reasons, egg freezing offers a level of flexibility and freedom that was once unattainable. It allows women to preserve their fertility, reduce the pressure of biological clocks, and make life decisions without compromising on their desire to have children. As egg freezing technology continues to evolve, it promises even greater opportunities for women to design their lives and futures on their terms—empowered, informed, and in control.

For women considering egg freezing, Prashanth IVF provides exceptional services, ensuring that each step of the process is handled with the utmost care and expertise. With a team of highly skilled fertility specialists, state-of-the-art technology, and a compassionate approach, Prashanth IVF offers women the best chance to preserve their fertility and plan for the future. Whether you’re looking to freeze your eggs for medical reasons or to have more control over your reproductive timeline, Prashanth IVF is dedicated to supporting your journey every step of the way.

[organicmatter]

Well I did not catch that my snails had laid eggs so I have a ton of baby snails now. They are the cutest things ive ever seen!

[drforambhuta]

Innovations in Egg Freezing Techniques

Vitrification (Rapid freezing technique): Rapidly freezing eggs by plunging them into liquid nitrogen, avoiding ice crystal formation and increasing survival rates.

Cryoprotectant Solutions (Improved protection during freezing): Novel solutions minimize toxicity and prevent ice crystal formation during egg freezing and thawing.

Ultra-rapid Vitrification (High-speed cooling): Cooling eggs at an incredibly rapid rate using a high concentration of cryoprotectants to preserve structural integrity and increase survival rates.

Time-lapse Imaging (Continuous monitoring): Continuous observation of frozen eggs' development through imaging, aiding in selecting viable eggs for future use.

Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) (Genetic screening): Analyzing thawed embryos for genetic abnormalities or chromosomal disorders to improve successful outcomes and reduce genetic risks.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML): Using algorithms to analyze data and predict optimal retrieval time, assist in selecting viable eggs, and personalize recommendations.

Improved Freezing and Thawing Protocols (Enhanced survival and viability): Fine-tuning protocols considering optimal cooling/warming rates, duration of cryoprotectant exposure, and specialized equipment.

Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) (Enhanced fertilization): Injecting a single sperm directly into a thawed egg to improve fertilization and embryo development.

Social Egg Freezing (Non-medical reasons): Innovations to accommodate the increasing demand for egg freezing by women who choose to delay childbearing for personal or career reasons.

Fertility Preservation in Cancer Patients (Cancer treatment and future fertility): Innovations providing cancer patients with improved fertility preservation options, such as rapid referral systems, ovarian tissue cryopreservation, and advanced stimulation protocols.

You can contact a good fertility specialist like Dr. Firuza Parikh from Mumbai to get more information about egg freezing and assisted reproductive health techniques.

[sk270114]

The process of matching surrogates with intended parents typically involves several steps and may vary depending on the country or agency involved. Here is a general overview of how surrogates are matched with intended parents:

Initial Screening: Surrogates and intended parents are typically required to go through an initial screening process. Surrogates may need to meet certain criteria such as age, overall health, previous successful pregnancies, and mental and emotional stability. Intended parents may also be required to meet certain criteria, such as being in a stable relationship or having a medical need for surrogacy.

Application and Profile Creation: Surrogates and intended parents usually fill out detailed applications and create profiles. Surrogates provide information about their medical history, lifestyle, and personal preferences. Intended parents provide information about their desire for surrogacy, their backgrounds, and what they are looking for in a surrogate.

Matching Process: Agencies or professionals involved in surrogacy will review the profiles of surrogates and intended parents to find potential matches. They consider factors such as compatibility in personal preferences, values, and expectations. The matching process aims to find a good fit between the surrogate and intended parents, ensuring compatibility and a positive working relationship.

Consultations and Meetings: Once a potential match is identified, consultations and meetings are arranged between the surrogate, intended parents, and any other involved parties, such as medical professionals or legal advisors. These meetings allow everyone to discuss expectations, establish a connection, and address any concerns or questions.

Legal Process: After a match is confirmed, the legal aspects of the surrogacy arrangement come into play. Both the surrogate and intended parents usually have separate legal representation to ensure their rights and responsibilities are protected. Legal agreements are drafted, covering topics such as compensation, medical procedures, potential risks, and parental rights.

Medical Procedures and Surrogacy Journey: Once all legal requirements are met, the medical procedures for the surrogacy journey can commence. This typically involves fertility treatments for the intended parents, embryo transfer into the surrogate's uterus, and subsequent prenatal care for the surrogate. The surrogate and intended parents work closely with medical professionals throughout this process.

It's important to note that the specifics of the matching process may vary depending on the country, surrogacy laws, and the policies of the surrogacy agency or professionals involved. It's advisable to consult with a legal and reputable surrogacy agency or professional to understand the exact process in your specific situation or jurisdiction.There are best ivf specialists like Dr Firuza Parekh who can guide you with information on ivf, ivf treatment, ivf procedure, surrogacy.

[nervermim]

Just imagining being abducted by aliens that want to test human fertility and capability with their alien race to reproduction

AFAB body, bad English I'm don't really care enough to beta, aliens, eggs that kind of stuff

Waking up on a freezing cold table and completely naked isn't exactly what you expect first thing in the morning. Especially when you remember clearly of going sleep in your own bed and with clothes.

But guess what, surprise, you have been chosen in a small group os humans to be tested to be a new breeding cow for a alien race! They can't reproduce among their own species so they always look in other planets for keep their race alive.

They choosed a little group of humans and now they will be testing if they are compatible to their needs, don't be scared, they will take good care of you... And well if they earth and humans aren't useful for them maybe they will exterminate the whole planet but this is just some small details!

You are completely naked in the table, feeling like those frogs from medicine students, they still do that? Your hands and feet are tied by chains in the table, not too tight but you definitely can't escape, not that you would have any change even if you escape, you are years from distance to earth silly, you are in space!

The room is all weird, white walls and bright lights in the roof, almost hurting your eyes. There is a lot of shelves full of weird things, bottles, machines, d-dildos?!

Before you can try indentify anything, since you still don't have any fucking idea of why they kidnapped you and why you are naked, maybe they will literally open you and check your organs, the door opens and you hear steps.

Three men enter the room, they are definitely aliens you can say that just looking at their skin colors. One have some dark green, the other one has a purple one with some lighter spots, and the last has a grey skin.

They don't have multiple arms or many eyes, besides their eyes has a black background instead of white, and their eyes have also other non common colors. All of them have orange eyes, a little yellow or red.

Initially they ignore you, even if you try to talk and ask what is happening, they just continue as you are a dog barking. One of them, with the green skin, goes to a machine that looks some kind of computer, multiples screens flooting even if you can't understand a single word, even numbers can't look humans to you. There's no much you can by just trying to lift your head, still stuck in the table.

The other one grabs a chair e some type of tablet, the one with purple skin, and approach you, starting to write down things, still ignoring you though.

The other one, with the grey skin, looks to be preparing something, you can't actually see him, but you heard the songs of things being moved, glass sounds or other things. At least by the sounds nothing looks sharp, but duh you can't be sure, you can only pray.

"Stats?" The grey one ask, you can see his medium black hair, the ends of the hair are silver and looking him by his back he could be a human. They are definitely not the alien you saw in movies, well, maybe the hot version of them?

"Heart rate stable, anxiety levels high but not alarming, the inserted translator seems to work well considering the vocal response, confirmation with future tests" The purple one respond, wait how they know about your heartbeat?! Anxiety levels?! Wait what they mean about translator?! They put something inside you?! Like with a surgery?!

"The test instruments?" Again the grey one, he is the leader? Something like that?

"everything is prepared" you imagine that this is the grey one talking, you heard the sound of something getting closer and then he is back in your point of vision, with a little table by his side with some weird things... But you don't have time to look at them properly, because the grey one is now approaching you.

"Salutations human, you have been choosed in a select small group of humans in propose of checking your fertility compatible with our race, with the final goal of reproducing" He says and all you do it's some little screams and beg for mercy, actually you aren't sure if that is really what you are talking, you are nervous, confused, scared, you can't actually say nothing properly.

"don't be scared human, all the test are painless and won't hurt you, our goal is only analys all your body and determine if your body is able to hold a baby of our race." The green continue talking, ignoring your fear and looking at your with even some kind of boring?! Like you are just an annoyance!

"that means we are going to check a lot of fun things on you" the purple one says, puting his tablet away and sitting on the chair, he puts his elbows on the table, looking excited and amused. "We have to be sure that each little part of you it's perfect you know?"

Even with you crying and squirming on the table, they just ignore you.

"Yes, our test is is very thorough. Every detail must be checked" the grey says, he looks excited too, but just a little more chill about it.

"let's start with the basic, we need to check the vaginal canal depth, also how much it can stretch to be able to put the eggs" E-Eggs? They don't produce babies like humans?! They have eggs?! Real eggs?! Like what dragons?!

"After that we need to see natural lubrification..." He keeps listing like that is just some normal medical exam, not that they are literally going to open your pussy up and see if you are going to be a good breeding cow!

"oooh I like this part, is always fun to see what make them all horny and shy, those humans look to have some funny parts though..." The purple one looks at you as you are a prey, almost a toy, to play and see what reactions he can get from you.

"Don't forget our goal, don't get carried away because of some exciting " the grey one says and the purple agrees, but you feel he don't actually listened.

"After that we already going to try the real fertility test?" The grey ones ask, and the green now is finally looking at you.

"Yes, is they pass the other parts of the test then we will start the breeding teste, if they are able to get pregnant and incubate the eggs properly, also surviving after laying them so they will considered a success" The green says and the others agrees. W-wait they are talking serious? They really just breed you and our eggs inside you? You don't know even their names! Not that change anything you have been literally kidnaped their names don't matter!

You try to talk, tries to respond and protest, but again they just ignore you. This time is even worst, the grey one just get a gag from the other table and lock into your mouth. Now all you can do it's muffle some words and try to shake your head.

"Starting the application of the aphrodisiac in reason to calm down the subject and guarantee comparation with the test" the grey one says and you can see him getting a needle. Aphrodisiac?! They going to drug you so you can be easier?!

"maybe a test without the aphrodisiac will be necessary in the future..." The green says, writing down something.

"don't worry human" the purple one says, stroking your cheek gently. "We are going to take care of you, it's going to be so good breeding you, we are going to be sure you will love having our eggs, until you are completely full..." His other hands touchs your belly and you feels your soul leaving your body. "And once all you can think is being fucked and breed, you going see it's not that bad being with us, okay?" He say with a smile in his face.

"Alright, let's start the test."

[bones4thecats]

Diasomnia with their Fae! Knight! S/O

Type of Writing: Poll Result Characters: Malleus Draconia, Lilia Vanrouge, Silver, and Sebek Zigvolt Name: Diasomnia with their Fae! Knight! S/O Original Poll Link: Here

A/N: I'm sorry that this took a while to post, I just finished with a larger thing with my family, so. But, anyways, I do hope you all enjoy this, and look out, on Sunday, January 7th, 2024, requests will open for an hour. I'll put out an announcement when it happens! Enjoy, my lil bubbles🫧

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🐉 Okay, the entirety of Diasomnia is shocked

🐉 You were the personal guard of Malleus', being sent everywhere he went, and because of this situation pushed upon you both, conversations were the only thing keeping the atmosphere from fogging up with awkwardness

🐉 Malleus asked you about your home life, so hearing how you descended from a army-covered family of faes, he just smiled and chuckled as you told stories on how strong, yet dumb they were

🐉 He loves to watch you spar with Silver and Sebek, trying to help Lilia teach them, though, since you weren't used to being delicate when fighting, you nearly always ended up on the ground apologizing as you tried healing a small bruise of cut you gave them

🐉 Both you and Malleus have an understanding because of your roles, do not let your feelings overwhelm your jobs, since that could result in people using you against each other, seeing weakness

🐉 You definitely have had to deal with Leona, so while he tried threatening Malleus one day, you grabbed your sword and held it to his throat, making him stiffen and the rest of the group freeze with awkward facial expressions

🐉 You may be rough around the edges, but Malleus likes that about you, and if someone tried harming you, he'd have their heads, and you'd do the same for him, no doubt

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🦇 He and you served together during the Human vs Fae war long ago

🦇 You were one of the higher-ranked army members during battle, and you two were known as the 'Blood-Bathers', but, despite how the humans you slayed viewed you both, you cared for one another with a ton of passion

🦇 When Lilia found Malleus' egg, you helped him raise the future-ruler, from helping him control his magic, to helping him gain information on fighting and the outside world, you were there just as much as Lilia was

🦇 Lilia also watched as you laughed when Malleus burned his bangs, just staring at you with a face frozen in betrayal and shock before tackling you and messing up your hair as Malleus laughed

🦇 You may be a knight, but you had just as much of a sense of humor as your husband, from dad-jokes to puns, you both slayed people with them

🦇 Your husband loves to watch you get along with Silver, treating him like your own despite you both knowing he wasn't, and watching you train with him made Lilia feel like his whole life and the reason he survived everything from his past was just to be here, watching you and his family grow

🦇 Lilia also loves to spar with you himself, and watching the three boy's faces all erupt with sparkles and admiration to the two of you, watching as you battled, it was like you were in a dance, flowing together like the soulmates you were

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⚔️ Silver met you because of your chosen occupations, being a knight

⚔️ He loves to train with you, watching you hold your sword in your hands was amazing to him, and seeing how you flowed with the weapon like you were one was amazing to him

⚔️ This guy absolutely refuses to give up on your relationship, despite knowing you were going to outlive him, since he was a human with a limited lifespan, while you were a fae with a limitless one

⚔️ Many see you guys as the sleepy soulmates, as after doing literally anything, you guys would rest underneath a tree with animals surrounding you

⚔️ You are a very good fighter, one that even puts Lilia in the need for effort when sparring, and your boyfriend loves seeing how his adoptive father smiles and pats your head with such care when your able to knock him off his feet

⚔️ Silver will try staying up and watch you help train new first years with their magic, but, unsurprisingly, he falls asleep, prompting you to carry him like a princess back to your dorm-rooms

⚔️ Being a knight, you wake up early, and since your lovely boyfriend here has many sleeping issues, he pins you down and makes you sleep longer than normal

⚔️ Malleus, Lilia, and Sebek all love watching Silver hug you from behind and rest while you glare at those who call him pathetic and a disgrace to the dorm for being human, you really were meant for him, huh?

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⚡ Sebek was nervous when he first met you

⚡ You were a very well-respected knight within Briar Valley's army, so, being a trainee and you being quite popular among your peers, it made him feel lesser, and he hates that

⚡ He watched as you stood beside Malleus, sending threatening glares to others who dared try harming him, verbally or physically

⚡ Unlike Sebek, you did not express your emotions as passionately, and, funnily enough, that was what got you interested in him, as not many of your fellow knights knew how to express themselves very well

⚡ He gets flustered every time you pinned him down, as you smirked and would tease him with your fangs showing

⚡ You teased others like Lilia, but, you only showed your real emotions to those you cared for, and for Sebek, you showed everything you felt to him

⚡ For some reason, every time he watches you grit your teeth with your fangs showing, he feels ashamed of himself, since he was a half-human, half-fae, while you were a pureblood

⚡ Due to this, you comfort him when he feels weaker than others. He may be a half-blood, but, as you tell him

" I love you for you, not for your percentage of fae-blood. You are an amazing being, loud, but amazing... and I love you for that, Sebek. "

[asteroidtroglodyte]

You know, it’s funny.

I watch a lot of Kids Cartoons, because I have a Kid and I like hanging out with him. Cartoon animals are fairly common. They are often portrayed with familiar, human family units: a mom, a dad, a baby, maybe siblings.

It’s too bad.

The Human Family is special.

Mantids are born alone. The species that live near me cannot survive the frosts of winter, so as the days shorten and the world becomes inhospitable to them, they provision for the future by laying eggs in protective cases in places unlikely to freeze. When the days lengthen again, the babies emerge. And so. All Mantids are Orphans.

Much of Life on Earth is like this. Not just Bugs.

Most of the life on Earth is photosynthetic. Over half, by both species count and biomass. Trees and grasses and ferns and algae do not need to move, not quickly, not in a coordinated way. So they never learned to perceive their surroundings. If you cannot perceive, you cannot be attracted or repulsed; you cannot Love. Trees may nourish each other through The Great Mycorrhizae, but this is mediated by the Fungus, not the Tree.

Merlin and Dorado. Annelid and Isopod. Orphans.

An infant deer can walk within minutes of life if need be. An infant wasp may feed upon its siblings. The infant octopus’s first meal may be its mother’s corpse.

The Human infant is pulled into the world by hands. Hands that care. The Human infant is helpless, for years, requiring not only a single adult of its species but an entire village to be said to be “raised properly.” The Unloved child DIES

Love is what defines Humans. Domestication is not like Colonialism or Slavery; to Domesticate a Plant or an Animal or a Fungus, you must Love it. You must Love it for generations, handing your Love down to your descendants. Caring for the beasts and plants, feeding and sheltering them, helping them find mates. To Domesticate a species is to crown yourself their God, and I will tell you now that the noble Aurochs and the mighty Boar felt blessed by our Love, and that when Cows & Pigs are raised properly by farmers (who are not themselves property of Conglomerated Business Interests,) that the relationship between the Farmer & their Animals is one built from Love.

We are. So special for this.

It is a form of madness, after all. To see the Self in the Other. Or perhaps a divine insight. Those are hard to distinguish.

[luxthestrange]

BNHA Incorrect quotes#31 ...Dramaaaa~

Hawks is happily feeding your chickens(That you keep as pets for eggs people!)-Cut to the front door kicked open by a furious You as You stomps around the house, mumbling angrily

KFC!Y/n*mumbling angrily* Ooh! Such a fucking asshole! That little motherfucker! I just wanna take my finger up and shove it up his fuckin' little thing!-

Upon coming up to the table, You slam your coffee cup on it disturbing Dabi(Who crashes in your new shared home with keigo...a lot), You then pass Dabi and hit a button titled "Nut button!!" that summons a cardboard cutout of a man saying, "Hi! I'm a chad!" then throws a knife and lunges at said cutout, Keigo looks at You, disturbed

Hawks: Y/n, Hon' Is everything okay?

You hiss back at Keigo in response, disturbing him even more, but You manage to calm down

KFC!Y/n*Freezes and looks at him ashamed and guilty for snapping at him* Yeah. I just...bumped into an ex...

Hawks: Oh! Oh...

KFC!Y/n*retracts knife* He just kept going on about how he has money now, "a bright future," and "a bigger cock".

Hawks & Dabi*Both disturbed at the last part* Wait, what?

KFC!Y/n*raises voice, eye twitching as veins pop on your forehead* Every time I see his stupid face, I can't help it! I just need to-

You punch the cabinet beside you in frustration

Who should be the secret ex...I wonder...

Part 6 of:

[911-ls-whats-your-emergency]

[[BOAT SHOW SPOILERS BELOW]]

Okay but something that’s I haven’t seen being talked about enough is that Avery froze her eggs?? Very recently apparently. So all these characterizations of her as the one who wants to stay childless and free (as compared to both men who’ve said they want the house and the kids) are totally unsupported.

In fact, as someone who looked into egg freezing recently, it’s a pretty intensive and expensive process, so she wouldn’t do that if she didnt seriously see kids as a possibility in her future. Obviously the timing and circumstances could be better, but that woman wants children! It doesn’t necessarily mean she’ll decide to go through with this pregnancy, but it does make it an extremely difficult decision for her.

[moistvonlipwig]

Eternity, Growing Up, and Why Buffy Keeps Dating Vampires

Vampires in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, on a most basic level, represent stagnation, a desire to stay young forever, the refusal to grow up. The show emphasizes this several times: in the show's very first episode, Buffy recognizes a vampire by his outdated outfit, and in 2.07 "Lie to Me," Ford claims that becoming a vampire will allow him to "die young and stay pretty," the dream of "every American teen." Buffy's role as the titular vampire slayer can thus be read as a metaphor for her choosing to grow up and become an adult in the face of temptations to do otherwise. So what does it mean, then, that Buffy's two most narratively significant love interests are vampires -- that she repeatedly, across seven seasons, courts eternal immaturity? I would argue that Buffy's relationships with Angel and Spike represent her inner struggle to accept the reality of growing up and getting older.

Buffy and Angel's relationship is marked by repeated references to the concept of "forever" or an eternal relationship: "When I look into the future, all I see is you" (2.12 "Bad Eggs"); "Love is forever" (2.19 "I Only Have Eyes For You"); "Forever. That's the whole point" (3.01 "Anne"); "You still my girl?" / "Always" (3.17 "Enemies"); Buffy's "Buffy & Angel 4ever!" doodle on her notebook (3.20 "The Prom"); "How's forever? Does forever work for you?" (5.17 "Forever"). At first glance, this may appear to be a romantic cliche, but taken in context of what vampires represent, the motif takes on new meaning. To be eternal is to be like a vampire -- to stagnate, to never change or grow or mature. Indeed, Angel's final line on the entire show, in his and Buffy's last scene together, is, "I ain't getting any older" (7.22 "Chosen"). In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, immortality is synonymous with immaturity. To want a "forever" relationship, then, is to want to never grow up.

(This idea is revisited in the Angel episode 2.13 "Happy Anniversary," a disturbing tale about a man who responds to his impending breakup with his girlfriend Denise by attempting to freeze them both in time mid-coitus forever. Lorne's response -- "I can hold a note forever. But eventually that's just noise. It's the change we're listening for. The note coming after, and the one after that. That's what makes it music." -- is a perfect summation of the Buffyverse's stance on the concept of eternity. To last "forever" is not romantic or beautiful; it is simply to be in stasis.)

Buffy and Angel's relationship is also frequently associated with death, and Buffy's death in particular: "When you kiss me, I wanna die" (2.05 "Reptile Boy"); kissing against a gravestone reading "In Loving Memory" ("Bad Eggs"); Angel's dream of Buffy bursting into flames in the sunlight like a vampire after marrying him ("The Prom"). The implication is that, if Buffy stays in the relationship, it will metaphorically kill her, cut off her future, freeze her in this moment of teenage love until the end of time, like the first episode's vampire whose fashion sense was stuck in the past or, indeed, like the fate that almost befell poor Denise. To borrow a metaphor from Revolutionary Girl Utena (another show very concerned with the dichotomy of eternity vs. growing up), Angel and Buffy's relationship is their coffin. They can choose to stay trapped in it forever, to never grow or change, and thus to metaphorically die; or they can choose to leave, to grow and change and mature, to gain "the power to imagine the future" (Ikuhara Kunihiko, Utena DVD commentary), where before they could only imagine each other.

It's no coincidence that the second season's finale, an episode all about "becoming," about growing up and maturing, is when Buffy finally finds the strength to kill Angel in order to save the world. In doing so, she rejects her desire to stay young forever, trapped in her coffin with Angel for all of eternity, and chooses to continue to grow up instead. But, of course, growing up is never quite so simple; Angel comes back, and Buffy falls back into her relationship with him, falls back into her desire to pretend the events of the second season never happened and she is still the same young girl who never lost her "innocence" at his hands. Even when we consciously choose to grow up, it is all too easy to seek comfort in the idea that maybe, if we try hard enough, we won't have to. In the end, it is Angel who recognizes the harm their relationship is doing to Buffy, and he departs, taking Buffy's childhood with him. Her youth leaves her, as it leaves us all, whether she wants it to or not.

But Angel is not the last vampire she has a relationship with. In the show's sixth season, Buffy emerges from her literal coffin only to climb right back into a metaphorical one. In the time since she said goodbye to Angel, Buffy has attended college, had to drop out of college, had another romantic relationship fail, lost her mother, essentially become a parent to her newly-acquired sister, died through suicidal self-sacrifice, and been resurrected only to find that she is still just as depressed as she was before dying and is now swamped with bills she cannot pay. Her problems are firmly in the realm of adulthood, and at many points throughout the first half of the season, she longs for the grave she left instead of the life she has: "I was happy. [...] I think I was in heaven. [...] This is hell" (6.03 "After Life"); "There was no pain / no fear, no doubt / 'til they pulled me out / of heaven" (6.07 "Once More, with Feeling").

It is at this point that she begins a sexual relationship with Spike, her second dalliance with eternal immaturity. Buffy and Spike's relationship is also marked by references to death, with an emphasis this time on graves: Spike notices and verbalizes the shared experience they have of clawing their way out of their graves ("After Life"); Spike and Buffy fall into a grave together during Spike's song, during which he beseeches her to "let [him] rest in peace" ("Once More, with Feeling"); several of their sexual encounters literally occur inside the crypt Spike lives in; this crypt is brought into focus especially in 6.13 "Dead Things," in which Buffy and Spike place their hands on either side of its door, separated by her status as living and his as dead. Buffy additionally uses Spike as a proxy to call herself "dead inside" ("Dead Things"). Buffy may have literally risen from the dead, but in a metaphorical sense, she is still trapped in her coffin, unwilling to leave it.

There are, of course, multiple layers to the grave and coffin motif in Buffy the Vampire Slayer's sixth season. But I would argue that one such layer is that it serves as an extension of the death metaphor from Buffy and Angel's relationship, in which death signified Buffy never growing up. In this reading, Buffy's longing for the "heaven" granted to her by the grave is really a longing for the innocence of youth, now lost to her as she must continue to grow up. In Buffy's confession to Spike in "After Life" about where she was in death, she makes particular note of how "time didn't mean anything" in the place she labels "heaven," whereas in the real world, it's hellish "just getting through the next moment, and the one after that." Unlike Lorne, who saw beauty in the progression of time, Buffy sees only suffering, and longs for a time in her life when time itself seemed not to march forward at all.

It is no wonder, then, that she seeks comfort in someone who is frozen in time, who can never grow up. If Buffy's relationship with Angel represented her childhood desire to stay young forever and never face the hardships of adulthood, her relationship with Spike represents her adulthood desire to return to that period of youth and never leave it, to curl up in her coffin and close the lid. But unlike Buffy and Angel's relationship, which is littered with references to eternity, Buffy repeatedly insists on the temporary nature of her dalliance with Spike: "What we did is done. But I will never kiss you, Spike. Never touch you, ever, ever again" (6.08 "Tabula Rasa"); "Not gonna happen. Last night was the end of this freak show" (6.10 "Wrecked"). Buffy is furious with Spike for his hold over her and hates herself for wanting him, but returns to him again and again. She believes she shouldn't want to return to her unattainable youth, she knows she should accept her adult life and face its difficulties head-on, yet when confronted with its difficulties, she repeatedly goes to Spike to escape them, as in 6.11 "Gone," 6.12 "Doublemeat Palace," and 6.15 "As You Were."

If Angel represents Buffy's youth and Spike her nostalgia for that youth, then of course it follows that Angel must leave Buffy, but Buffy must leave Spike. Nostalgia, unlike youth, does not depart from us so easily. But she does leave him, and in the sixth season's finale, she finally crawls out of the grave she's been trapped in, represented by her leading her sister out of a literal grave and smiling at the world before her. As Buffy tells Dawn: "Things have really sucked lately, but it's all gonna change. And I wanna be there when it does. [...] And I want to see you grow up" (6.22 "Grave"). Change, the inevitable forward march of time, the reality of growing up -- these things no longer strike Buffy as hellish, but rather beautiful. She is an adult, and she is living in this ever-changing world, and she embraces that reality fully, leaving the coffin of youth behind for good.

What to make, then, of Buffy's relationship with Spike in the show's seventh season? I would argue that her evolving feelings towards Spike in the final season represent her reconciling with and forgiving her past self, the Buffy that didn't want to grow up, before finally letting that part of her go. She comes to recognize that Spike, like her past self, was capable of change, eternally immature though he may seem. She forgives herself for wanting him. When he offers to leave, she tells him she is "not ready for [him] to not be here" (7.14 "First Date"). She has already chosen to embrace and accept her adulthood, and she no longer resents her desire to return to childhood, but she still needs her inner eternal child with her.

It is in the very last episode of the series that she lets go, demonstrating her full-hearted and joyful acceptance of ephemerality in the process. Buffy has not told a romantic partner she loves them since Angel, although she told Angel she loved Riley in Angel 1.19 "Sanctuary," and from episodes like 4.03 "The Harsh Light of Day," it is clear how much the unexpected transience of her supposed-to-be-forever relationship with Angel has haunted her. But in 7.22 "Chosen," Buffy tells Spike she loves him in a moment when she knows for sure that his death is imminent and that their joint existence together is temporary. She no longer fears a love that is not eternal. Through Spike, she expresses her love for her past self and for the part of her that never quite grew up, and then she lets that part die with him, and with Sunnydale itself, the place where she spent her adolescence, another representation of the grave that was her dream of forever childhood. Despite this destruction and loss, Buffy only smiles in its face, and it is this smile we leave her on. She has grown up, she has forgiven herself for not wanting to grow up, she has let go of the last remnants of the childhood she once hoped would be eternal, and she has come to not only accept the ephemeral, ever-changing nature of life, but to meet it with love and joy. "The power to imagine the future" is hers to wield. And her smile tells us that she is finally ready to wield it.

[mariacallous]

Earlier this month, the Alabama Supreme Court issued an opinion, complete with a wildly theocratic concurrence from Chief Justice Thomas Parker, that functionally outlawed in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the state.

In the wake of the ruling, Republicans have tried to unwind this mess, with the Alabama legislature considering passing a law to ensure IVF access and Donald Trump coming out to say he strongly supports access to IVF. 

All of this is a bit of rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, as the damage is done. The entire spectacle was inevitable once the GOP gave the party over to anti-choice zealots decades ago.

In brief, the reason the Alabama Supreme Court’s opinion implicates and outlaws IVF is that the state has a Wrongful Death of a Minor statute, and the court decided this applies to “all unborn children, without limitation.” But there’s no language in the statute that says this. Rather, it’s just that over the last 15 years, the Alabama Supreme Court has issued a series of rulings saying that the undefined term “minor child” in the statute can be stretched to “unborn children” regardless of what state of development the embryo is at. Once the court created such an expansive definition, the decision that frozen embryos are people was inescapable. 

To be fair, though, the Alabama Supreme Court is entirely made up of conservative Republicans, they were a bit hamstrung in their decision. Alabama’s state constitution states that “it is the public policy of this state to ensure the protection of the rights of the unborn child in all manners and measures lawful and appropriate." But that doesn’t necessarily mean the court was required to, as it did here, extend that “unborn child” definition to what it calls “extrauterine children” — embryos frozen by people pursuing IVF. 

That IVF is even controversial is an indictment of the GOP

An IVF cycle is designed to produce multiple eggs that can be retrieved in one procedure. The more eggs produced, the greater the likelihood of a viable embryo that can be implanted, hopefully resulting in a pregnancy. Because of this, multiple embryos often remain, and people freeze those for several reasons. People may use them if the first attempt at implantation doesn’t work, thus avoiding multiple egg retrieval cycles. They may save them for later if they decide to have more children. They may donate them to other people struggling with fertility issues. 

For people not saddled with the misguided anti-choice belief that a tiny clump of cells is the same as a person, this is a non-controversial process. It enhances the chance of pregnancy and allows people to plan for future children without undergoing multiple invasive egg retrieval cycles. But if one subscribes to the notion of fetal personhood — that a fetus is quite literally a person, with all the attendant privileges that confers — then those frozen embryos are the same as babies. 

This is, of course, a religious, not scientific belief. Chief Justice Parker, in his concurring opinion, made clear that his vote, at least, stems directly from his religious beliefs rather than being grounded in the law. Citing Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin, the Ten Commandments, and the King James Bible, Parker concludes that “even before birth, all human beings bear the image of God, and their lives cannot be destroyed without effacing his glory.”

Notably, none of those things are legal precedent. Indeed, in a country founded on the separation of church and state, they shouldn’t inform a court holding. However, since religious conservatives dominate the US Supreme Court, that separation has largely collapsed. This has emboldened conservative litigants and conservative state and federal judges to take ever more anti-choice stances. 

Reproductive health activists have been sounding the alarm about the anti-choice attacks on IVF for years, particularly in the wake of the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade. At least two prominent anti-choice groups, Americans United for Life and Students for Life, have railed against IVF. The chief legal officer for Americans United for Life, Steve Aden, called IVF “eugenics” and said that IVF created “embryonic human beings” that were destroyed in the process. Students for Life called IVF “damaging and destructive.”

These same anti-choice groups also hate birth control, and the Dobbs decision paved the way for them to mount a theocratic attack on it too. Christopher Rufo, who ginned up a panic over benign diversity initiatives and helped force out the first Black president of Harvard, Claudine Gay, has already telegraphed that this is his next attack.

Over on Elon Musk’s increasingly Nazi-fied social media site, X, Rufo is spewing rhetoric about how “the family structure disintegrated precisely as access to birth control proliferated” and that recreational sex is bad and leads to single-mother households. 

Rufo isn’t alone. The Heritage Foundation, which is also busy with a blueprint for a second Trump presidency that would destroy the administrative state and whose leader is still pushing the big lie that Trump won the 2020 election, has also called for the end of birth control. Also over on X, Heritage’s official account posted last year that “a good place to start would be a feminist movement against the pill and … returning the consequentiality to sex.”

And there you have it. Religious conservatives are calling for a return to a world where sex isn’t recreational or for pleasure but is instead fraught with consequences — namely, pregnancies that can’t be terminated even when the pregnant person’s life is in danger. To do this, however, they would need to succeed in getting the Supreme Court to overturn Griswold v. Connecticut, the 1965 case that invalidated restrictions on birth control. 

More importantly, Griswold affirmed the constitutional right to privacy. It’s that right that not only underpinned the right to an abortion in Roe but also underpins other cases related to the rights of Americans to pursue sexual and marital relationships without government interference. In Lawrence v. Texas, decided in 2003, the Supreme Court relied upon Griswold to throw out laws that criminalized sexual contact between members of the same sex. Twelve years later, that same reasoning was used in Obergefell v. Hodges to affirm a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. 

Justice Clarence Thomas hates the right to privacy and has made no secret he wants it gone. In his concurring opinion in Dobbs, he called on the Court to “reconsider” all these cases and overrule them as “demonstrably erroneous.” Justice Samuel Alito has been a bit more evasive about this, writing in Dobbs that “nothing in this opinion should be understood to cast doubt on precedents that do not concern abortion.” However, Alito’s Dobbs opinion is littered with references to “fetal life” and how abortion destroys an “unborn human being.” As recently as last week, Alito wrote a statement decrying Obergefell because he doesn’t think it’s fair that people who are bigots about same-sex marriage ever get called bigots. 

It isn’t just Thomas and Alito. During her confirmation hearing, Justice Amy Coney Barrett refused to say whether she thought Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell were rightly decided. In 2012, she signed an open letter stating that the Affordable Care Act’s required coverage for birth control was an assault on religious liberty. Similarly, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, in his confirmation hearing, also wouldn’t say whether Griswold was correctly decided. Justice Neil Gorsuch did the same. 

That makes five likely votes — with Chief Justice John Roberts a possible sixth — for a rollback of privacy rights in America. With that pillar of law gone, states would be free to outlaw same-sex marriage, get rid of birth control, and impose any other theocratic conditions they’d like. 

The dog that caught the car

Right now, Republicans are scrambling to undo the damage they’ve wrought, realizing that an anti-IVF stance is alienating to most. Last year, the Pew Research Center found that 42 percent of adults had used fertility treatments or knew someone who had. From 1996 to 2018, over 1 million babies were born as a result of fertility treatments. Mike Pence has spoken publicly about how he and his wife used IVF and that the procedure should be protected. 

In Alabama, Republican legislators are planning to introduce a law that would say the embryo isn’t a person until implanted in a uterus. But legislation doesn’t trump the state constitution, which means the Alabama courts could throw out any law they deem contrary to their fetal personhood interpretation of the constitution. Several Alabama fertility clinics have stopped IVF services, citing the legal risk. The state’s GOP attorney general, Steve Marshall, said he wouldn’t use the decision to prosecute IVF providers or people seeking IVF treatment, but that’s a slender reed to rely upon. What provider or patient wants to rely upon the vague assurances of the attorney general rather than a law that protects access?

And it isn’t just IVF. Elected officials in states that have banned abortion have openly mocked those people who have come forward with horror stories of being refused abortions even as they developed sepsis or faced the possibility of permanent future infertility. Doctors have no clear guidance on when they can terminate a pregnancy to save the life of the pregnant person, leaving them vulnerable to prosecution. People who currently have frozen embryos have no idea what to do with them, and nor do clinics. If the hardest-line anti-choice people get their way, access to birth control will become as spotty and politicized as access to abortion is now. 

This type of amorphous fear is a feature, not a bug, of the post-Dobbs landscape. When the entire spectrum of reproductive health is murky, and the threat of prosecution looms large, doctors won’t perform abortions or IVF treatments. Patients won’t seek abortions even as their health deteriorates to a level that could result in death. People who can get pregnant will have their lives narrowed to nearly nothing as they try to sidestep the landmines of an ever-shifting jurisprudence over their bodies. 

And that’s exactly the way conservatives want it, no matter their current feeble attempts to get out from under an IVF disaster of their own making. The GOP made common cause with the worst people in the country on this issue, and now we’re all stuck with the consequences. 

[twstjam]

Unforeseen

HAHA it's not a Matcha fic if it isn't edited and posted at 2-3 AM amirite I don't know what this is I was just brainrotting about Malleyuu + Yuu and Sebek friendship + my take on post-NRC and this is what came out of it. I INITIALLY planned to only write the first and last parts but then my brain decided that it would be a good idea to come up with all the other shit in between and now this mess exists 👍 This also features a few theories and hcs based on Book 7 Chapter 4 lore, like how Malleus hatched and how Draconia babies are made. Summary: Sebek goes missing and with Malleus's first child with you on the way the prince is anxious about the affects of unexpected events on his family and the future.

----

There aren't many things that can scare a dragon.

But then correspondence from Sebek's party stops, and Malleus swears his blood freezes.

He's sure he wears out the floor with his pacing, blood humming with restless surges of magic and throat hot with the urge to release fire as he waits with patience that wears thinner by the hour. Silver stands in the doorway, the disapproving gaze he'd imagine on his father reflected exactly on the guard's face as he tells Malleus to go to bed.

Malleus would laugh at the irony if he didn't instead begin to worry about the emptiness he'd leave next to his spouse if he remains awake until dawn again. Well, not that you'd be entirely alone.

Your arms are encircled around a massive black egg, held close to your chest like you used to do with the monster cat curled up against it. Grim rumbles like a motorboat, the only sound that remains when Malleus enters the bedroom and all conversation is halted.

You sit up, not without keeping some part of you touching the egg in some way, eyes alight with hope. Malleus's heart sinks at the way your expression falls at the frown he wears.

Referring to you and Sebek as "close" would be an understatement. Since your first day at the castle, the both of you have practically been attached at the hip, falling back into the familiar roles of your years together as students at Night Raven College. Malleus would call it an imitation of Sebek's excessive devotion to him back in those years if it weren't more personal; the two of you are often whispering secrets or nonsense, laughing, bantering, and smiling with each other despite your roles as guard and master. It's nothing like how Malleus is guarded and he sometimes finds himself feeling the ugly curl of envy at the thought.

Malleus can't fault Sebek for keeping his distance. He knows that his role as the future king forms a boundary between them that cannot and should not be crossed, but that doesn't mean that Malleus is any less upset about it.

Sebek isn't with you now though, and neither is he with Malleus, nor Silver. Malleus remembers a time like yesterday (at least to him) when Sebek would sob upon being torn from Malleus's side, but he recalls that on the day of the guard's departure, he had been insistent. Dedicated, as always, to anything and everything that would keep his lord and friend safe. You'd hugged him goodbye and waved him off cheerily, grin wide as you shouted at him to "Don't forget the souvenirs!"

"I'm doing reconnaissance, not going on a vacation," Sebek had groaned when you'd told him the same thing prior, shooting Silver a glare when the other man had muttered under his breath, "Seven knows you need one." He had redirected it, tired and pleading at Malleus when the prince had laughed.

(Malleus tries to remember what it was like; laughing. When he had lamented this aloud, you had called him a Drama Queen, but that doesn't mean you're any less worn with worry even if you don't share his admittedly exaggerated sentiment.)

"We should just go look for 'im!" Grim grouches, disguising his own worry behind drained patience at everyone's trepidation. He's practically your other half, (and more in tune with your feelings than Malleus is, he'd begrudgingly admit.) so he's as tied to Sebek as you are.

""We"?" Malleus questions sharply at your nod of agreement.

"The longer we go without a word from him the less I think I can wait, Tsuno," you plead. Malleus looks down at you understandingly, but his eyes are sad as he places a careful hand on the egg nestled in your arms. Guilt crosses your face, but the determination remains in your eyes.

"Stay with the egg," you tell him with finality, but if anyone can fight you on this it's Malleus.

"I care for Sebek, truly." Malleus cuts you off when you open your mouth to argue that I didn't say you don't— "But I will not risk the chance of our child growing without either of us by their side."

It's something that he has a firm stance on and you know that you can't ever argue with it, even if you're not willing to give up the vision in your mind of both Silver and Sebek also being by their side when they hatch. You curl up around the egg further, resigned, even as you murmur, "What do we do, then?"

"We wait," Malleus says, apologetic as he gathers his child, the love of his life, and their cherished animal companion in his arms. He curls his tail around them protectively despite his family being in the safety of his arms and his nest. He can feel Grim vibrating with unrelenting purrs against his chest, the furry little beast squishing his face against the egg as he kneads little biscuits over its curved surface. You settle with your head against Malleus's chest, dissatisfied but resigned.

----

Malleus watches you shriek when you lay your eyes on Ace and Deuce right before you bowl them over to the floor in excitement and he knows he made the right call inviting them to the castle.

Few humans ever set foot on the castle floors, not many fae keen on just the idea of it, but Malleus is the future king and he can do whatever the Hell he wants and that includes letting your friends come over for a few days to cheer you up, traditions be damned.

With Ace and Deuce around, the castle is alive in a way it hasn't been in weeks. It's not just a product of their making but yours as well, the three of you along with Grim at your heels always up to something in the castle when you're all together. Malleus is more than happy to watch over the egg as you catch up with your friends, but that doesn't mean he's free from your attention any less.

"How much longer is it gonna take for it to hatch?" Ace says in both amazement and curiosity while Deuce tries to wrap his head around the concept of a magically conceived and hatched egg (It's not really that complicated. Malleus can't understand what might be so confusing about it.). They're both standing around the egg at a distance but still closer than anyone else you and Malleus have allowed in the unborn heir's presence.

(That is, if he doesn't count Silver and Sebek.)

"Like, half a year, or something like that." You tilt your head up at him for confirmation. "Right?"

"Indeed," Malleus crows proudly, hand smoothing over the egg's shell. Grim hops up onto Malleus's lap and rubs up against the egg, butting up into Malleus's palm when he raises it to pet him. You smile with excitement, lips pulled between your teeth as you hop in your seat across from them.

"I can't wait," you chirp, linking your arms with your friends' and bouncing them along with you. "You guys have to be there when it happens, so make sure you've got nothing going on."

"Oh, you bet," Ace laughs, eyes shining with mirroring eagerness.

"Are you kidding? Like we'd miss your kid being born! Uh.... hatched?" Deuce muses.

Malleus hums, pleased at their assent, hands cradling the egg's sides lovingly. Along with Ace and Deuce, you were also planning to invite your other old friends from NRC to witness the hatching, which Malleus had agreed to without missing a beat.

Though he hadn't even been a minute old, Malleus remembers his own hatching. He doesn't think he can ever forget it; the overbearing loneliness as he broke the shell and gazed into tearful red eyes. Despite the waves of love that had urged him to come out, the room had been so empty except for the fae that had coaxed him out of his eggshell.

Malleus doesn't wish for such an experience to ever be known to his children.

He knows the image you see in your head of your child's hatchday, can see you proudly presenting his heir to the eager eyes of your friends. He can see them all now, gathered around you with the privilege to lay eyes on the future ruler of Briar Valley before anyone else; Ace, Deuce, Jack, Epel, Ortho... and Sebek.

Malleus's fingers curl, claws lightly scraping against the shell of his child's egg.

Sebek will be there. He knows that you haven't given that up in your mind, and neither will he.

----

Malleus still remembers the day, a year or so ago, when the two of you had finally announced that an egg had been successfully conceived.

His grandmother was the first to come see it, of course. She had manifested, eyes wild and frantic, in a burst of green flames. She at least had had the decency to appear outside of his and your chambers instead of coming right in, but the moment Malleus opened the door to greet her she was brushing right past him.

It was the first time you and Malleus (and possibly anyone really) had seen Briar Queen Maleficia so emotional. You had awkwardly patted her back in an attempt to soothe her surging emotions, but it had instead gotten you pulled into a stifling hug that had you breathless. Malleus had watched with both amusement and tears in his eyes as his grandmother murmured "thank you"s to you over and over on repeat while you reached for him with your arms, silently begging for assistance.

After that, it was time to introduce the egg to the rest of his family.

Though it wasn't her egg, Maleficia had to be convinced to allow other people close to it, relenting with a pout. She remained in the room though, so when you had returned with Silver and Sebek in tow, her presence was the first thing that they registered. Sebek had gotten so caught up with stuttering formalities that he didn't even notice the egg for a full five minutes.

Everybody else in the room were already prepared for when he finally did, hands held over ears round and pointed alike as he screeched in surprise.

"An egg! You have an egg?!" he'd screamed in disbelief. You'd laughed as he grabbed you by the shoulders and shook you. "I'm not dreaming, am I?! Please tell me I'm not—!"

"You're not—!!!" you'd shouted, and the two of you had both shrieked with glee as Sebek picked you up and spun you around the air. He had chanted his congratulations while you vigorously repeated "Thank you!"s.

He had put you down awkwardly when he remembered again that Maleficia was in the room, clearing his throat and recollecting his composure while you continued to giggle. His joy was so infectious though that it even had Maleficia cracking a smile despite being in the face of some of her subjects.

"Do I not get a hug also?" Malleus had tried to be lighthearted but he couldn't help the pout on his face. Though he was reluctant and still alert to presence of the queen, Sebek had relented and given him the privilege. It wasn't anything like the hug he had given you, but it was meaningful and personal nonetheless. Silver had joined at Malleus's beckoning and the prince had held them both close, so many words of relief and gratitude going unspoken but communicated between the three of them nonetheless through one shared gesture.

Malleus had looked up at the quiet shuttering of a ghost camera and saw you show a polaroid to his grandmother with a proud grin.

"Could you perhaps make a duplicate of that for me?" she had mused.

----

Malleus is unsure if Ortho's surprise visit to the castle could be considered a pleasant one. Perhaps, if it were under different circumstances. Perhaps, if he had returned with Sebek and he wasn't practically painted with injuries.

Malleus was in the middle of his duties when he had found out. He had been discussing with the council the search itself for Sebek and his party when a member of the castle staff burst through the door and unceremoniously interrupted the meeting. They were quickly forgiven when they'd frantically informed him that Sir Zigvolt had finally returned.

Malleus had torn through the halls in a billow of black robes, legs carrying him thoughtlessly to his destination, eyes like green spotlights in the dimly-lit halls. The servants parted and made way for him wordlessly.

When he finally arrives, both you and Grim are already there, sitting by Sebek's bedside and on his lap respectively while Ortho hovers at his other side. Malleus is momentarily relieved that you'd been informed first, but then he sees the state Sebek is in and he's next to you in an instant.

Sebek's slit pupils dart to him for the briefest second before looking away with a grimace. He seems to sink further into the pillows cushioning his back at his sitting position, shame evident in his eyes and the way his lips are twisted in a way that morphs the cuts and bruises on his face.

"My liege—" he rasps, and the fire in Malleus's chest roars and pulls.

"Silence," he commands, a little too sharply and it aches how Sebek shrinks further into himself. Malleus sucks in a breath and forces himself to calm down. He sits down on the bed, holds out his hand, and speaks, softer this time, "Be still."

Sebek opens his mouth to retort but you shoot him a reprimanding look that has him going quiet again. Malleus notices how Sebek doesn't retreat from you and he feels that familiar pang of jealousy again.

Now is not the time for such trivial matters, boy. Your family is hurt. a voice chides him in his head. He holds his hand over Sebek's face, and though the halfling twitches slightly in discomfort, he closes his eyes to the warmth of Malleus's magic as his injuries begin to heal.

As Sebek relaxes, the tension easing further out of him as his pain fades away, Ortho begins to explain what had happened, how he had found Sebek, and why.

As it turns out, the treacherous group that Sebek's party was sent to observe was also being investigated by S.T.Y.X.. Sebek and his group had gotten ambsuhed and captured— At this, your hand tightens further around Sebek's much larger one. It draws Malleus's attention, and a low growl escapes him at the redness of iron burns peeking ever-so-slightly from beneath Sebek's sleeve.— and when Ortho had discovered this, he had gone in and rescued them as fast as he could. Sebek's injuries had been worse, apparently, and there was only so much Ortho could do with his built-in medical procedures in such a short amount of time.

The young humanoid seems to sag defeatedly at this, but you're quick to reassure him that "No, you did great. I mean it, Orr. Thank you."

Even Sebek had opened his eyes to shoot Ortho a reprimanding yet grateful look.

"I can confirm. I might not be here currently if it were not for your action, Ortho."

Ortho's eyes go wide at this and he scrubs at them with the heel of his palm as dribbles of liquid stain his cheeks.

"Y-You're going to activate my crying simulation again, Sebek!" he chokes out. He suddenly looks up, teary eyes meeting Malleus's, and Sebek looks like he wants to stop him from speaking but he's too late as Ortho blurts out, "I hope you are not disappointed in him, Malleus Draconia, though I don't think that you are! Regardless, you should know that Sebek was really cool, even though he was the one being rescued! He was suffering from severe iron burns and yet he stood up to the enemy captain anyway and bit his arm off when he tried to grab me! It was like he was the hero!"

An embarrassed blush spreads over Sebek's cheeks at Ortho's retelling, his flustered gaze suddenly finding interest in Grim's silky fur beneath his fingers. Despite his demeanor, his voice is as sure as ever as he says, "Well, of course I couldn't just stand there and let you be hurt after all the trouble you went through because of my blunder!"

At this statement, Malleus turns to him questioningly. "Sebek—"

"It was due to my shortcomings that we were captured, Lord Malleus," Sebek admits, shamefully and yet boldly as he looks up to finally meet his master's eyes. "It was my fault. The solution was so simple. If only I had...." Sebek's brow furrows in frustration, his fists clenching, the one holding your hand wrapping around your fingers fiercely. "If only I was—"

"Sebek," Malleus says, gently yet firmly, a mere mimicry of your reassuring tone, but it works to cut Sebek off before he begins his tangent. "That does not matter."

His hands draw downwards, brushing against yours before carefully wrapping around Sebek's wrists. Sebek inhales sharply at the sting of contact but eases again at the warmth of healing magic.

"What matters now is that everyone is safe. Is that you are safe. That you have returned to us."

He knows it's selfish. As prince, he knows it's unfair and unwise to be so forgiving of one of his guards' failures— A single wrong move could mean the downfall of the entire kingdom, after all— but Malleus finds that he doesn't care. He finds that, with Sebek back in the safety of the castle, with his family— All of his family— back in the safety of his arms, he doesn't care.

After weeks of worry and weariness and heavy thoughts of paranoia and doubt, Malleus for the first time feels a weight lift off his shoulders and it's like he can breathe again. He remembers again the feeling of relief.

Your hand that's not holding Sebek's reach for one of Malleus's. He accepts it gratefully, looking down to return your equally relieved smile, but when he meets your eyes, the expression on your face is not what he expects.

Instead of warmth, instead of anxiety flooding out of you and tears gathering in your eyes, your expression is cold and detached; eyes distant, lips pulled firmly into a thin line, and brows fighting to not draw down in what he knows would be the most fearsome glare he's ever seen in his years of living.

There aren't many things that can scare a dragon, but right now, as he watches you, the barely-restrained fury on your face  and the chilling desire for damnation in your eyes, Malleus feels the fire in his chest snuff out, retreating to make way for the real beast.

[drforambhuta]

The following are the primary techniques in assisted reproductive procedures:

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI): IUI is a minimally invasive method placing sperm directly into the uterus, useful for male factor infertility, unexplained infertility, or cervical mucus issues, with a 10-20% pregnancy chance per cycle.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): IVF procedure involves egg retrieval, fertilization in a lab dish, and embryo transfer into the uterus. It's recommended for various infertility issues, with a 40% average success rate.

Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI): ICSI enhances fertilization in severe male factor infertility cases, resembling IVF success rates.

Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer (GIFT): GIFT combines IVF and IUI elements, suitable for couples with religious objections to embryo culture, with success rates similar to IVF.

Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT): PGT screens embryos for genetic abnormalities during IVF, reducing genetic disorder risks but with ethical considerations.

Egg Freezing (Oocyte Cryopreservation): Egg freezing preserves eggs for future use, influenced by the woman's age, career, health, or personal reasons.

Sperm Retrieval Techniques: TESE and PESA retrieve sperm for men with male factor infertility issues, depending on the type of azoospermia.

Donor Gametes and Embryos: Donor gametes are options for individuals unable to use their own due to genetic disorders or other factors, with ethical considerations.

Surrogacy: Gestational surrogacy is common, involving contracts and counseling. Traditional surrogacy is less frequent due to legal and emotional complexities.

Emerging Technologies: ART advances with technologies like mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT) and artificial gametes, offering new possibilities for infertility treatment and personalized medicine.

You can contact the best fertility specialist in Mumbai, Dr. Firuza Parikh, who is currently working at H N Reliance Hospital, for a thorough evaluation and fertility treatment plan based on your health condition.

[sk270114]

Surrogacy often involves the use of in vitro fertilization (IVF) as a means of conception. IVF is a reproductive technology that involves the fertilization of an egg with sperm outside the body, in a laboratory setting. The resulting embryos are then transferred to the surrogate's uterus for gestation and pregnancy.

The typical process of surrogacy involving IVF can be outlined as follows: Selection of Surrogate: The intended parents usually work with a surrogacy agency or directly with a surrogate to find a suitable candidate who is willing to carry their child.

Medical Evaluation: The surrogate undergoes a series of medical and psychological evaluations to assess her physical and mental suitability for surrogacy. These evaluations help ensure the well-being of the surrogate and the success of the surrogacy process.

Preparation of the Surrogate's Uterus: Before the embryo transfer, the surrogate's menstrual cycle may be synchronized with the intended mother or an egg donor (if donor eggs are used). This synchronization helps prepare the surrogate's uterus for embryo implantation.

Ovarian Stimulation and Egg Retrieval: In most cases, the intended mother or an egg donor undergoes ovarian stimulation with hormonal medications to produce multiple mature eggs. These eggs are then retrieved through a minor surgical procedure.

Fertilization: In the laboratory, the retrieved eggs are fertilized with the intended father's sperm or donor sperm to create embryos. This step typically involves IVF or a similar assisted reproductive technology.

Embryo Transfer: Once the embryos have developed, one or more of them are transferred to the surrogate's uterus. The number of embryos transferred depends on various factors, including the surrogate's and intended parents' preferences and any legal restrictions.

Pregnancy and Birth: If the embryo implantation is successful, the surrogate carries the pregnancy to term and gives birth to the child. After birth, legal processes, such as adoption or parentage orders, may be required to establish the intended parents' legal rights and responsibilities.

It's important to note that the specific details of the surrogacy process, including the use of IVF, can vary based on individual circumstances, legal requirements, and medical recommendations. Consulting with medical professionals and legal experts specializing in reproductive medicine and surrogacy is essential to navigate the process successfully. There are best ivf specialists like Dr Firuza Parekh who can guide you with information on ivf, ivf treatment, ivf procedure, surrogacy.

[eclipsewilliam]

Endometriosis is a chronic condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of it, causing symptoms like pelvic pain, heavy menstrual bleeding, pain during sex, and infertility. Treatment for endometriosis depends on the severity of the symptoms, your overall health, and whether you want to have children in the future. Here are the main approaches that can help manage endometriosis:

1. Pain Management

• NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs): Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or naproxen can help reduce pain and inflammation associated with endometriosis.

• Prescription Pain Medications: For more severe pain, doctors might prescribe stronger painkillers or opioids for short-term use.

• Heat Therapy: Applying a heating pad or warm compress to the abdomen can help relieve pain and muscle spasms.

• TENS Therapy: A transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit, which delivers electrical impulses to the skin, can sometimes help with pain relief.

2. Hormonal Treatments

Hormonal therapies are often used to reduce or eliminate menstruation, as periods can worsen endometriosis symptoms.

• Birth Control Pills: Combined oral contraceptives (the pill) can help regulate periods and reduce pain by suppressing ovulation.

• Progestin-only Treatments: Progestin injections, implants, or intrauterine devices (IUDs) can help control the growth of endometrial tissue.

• GnRH Agonists: These drugs, such as Lupron or Zoladex, work by shutting down ovarian hormone production and inducing a temporary menopausal state, which can help shrink endometrial tissue and reduce pain. However, they often have significant side effects, including hot flashes and bone thinning.

• Danazol: This synthetic male hormone can reduce estrogen levels and shrink endometrial tissue, but it has side effects like acne and weight gain.

• Aromatase Inhibitors: These medications decrease estrogen production and can be used in combination with other treatments.

3. Surgical Treatment

Surgery can be considered for women with severe symptoms or if other treatments haven’t worked.

• Laparoscopy: This minimally invasive procedure allows the surgeon to remove or destroy endometrial tissue. It’s commonly used to treat endometriosis when other treatments aren’t effective.

• Hysterectomy: In cases where endometriosis is severe and other treatments have not worked, a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) may be considered, sometimes with removal of ovaries. However, this is typically only recommended for women who no longer wish to have children.

• Excision or Ablation: Surgeons may remove endometriotic lesions or use laser or heat to destroy the tissue.

4. Lifestyle and Complementary Therapies

• Diet: Some studies suggest that a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods (such as omega-3 fatty acids from fish or flaxseeds, and antioxidants from fruits and vegetables) may help alleviate some symptoms. Reducing intake of red meat, trans fats, and processed foods may also be beneficial.

• Exercise: Regular physical activity can improve overall well-being, reduce inflammation, and potentially help manage pain.

• Acupuncture: Some women report pain relief and improved symptoms with acupuncture, although more research is needed to fully support its effectiveness.

• Stress Reduction: Practices like yoga, mindfulness, or meditation can help manage stress and may contribute to pain relief.

• Supplements: Some people find that omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, curcumin (from turmeric), and magnesium help reduce pain and inflammation, though it’s important to talk to a healthcare provider before starting any supplements.

5. Fertility Treatments

If endometriosis is affecting fertility, treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) may be recommended. Fertility-preserving options like egg freezing may also be considered for women who want to preserve their fertility before pursuing aggressive treatments.

6. Alternative Therapies

• Herbal Remedies: Some women explore herbal treatments like chamomile, ginger, or vitex (chaste tree), which are believed to help with menstrual regulation and pain. However, their efficacy is not well-established, and some herbs can interact with other medications.

• CBD Oil: Some women report relief from pain with CBD oil, though more research is needed.

7. Support and Counseling

• Support Groups: Connecting with others who have endometriosis can provide emotional support and practical advice on managing symptoms.

• Counseling or Therapy: Chronic pain conditions like endometriosis can lead to mental health struggles, such as anxiety or depression. Therapy or counseling can help you cope with the emotional impact of the condition.

Managing Endometriosis in Daily Life

• Track Your Symptoms: Keeping a symptom diary can help you and your doctor understand your condition better and tailor treatments accordingly.

• Work-Life Balance: It can be challenging to manage work, school, or social activities when you’re in pain. Finding accommodations at work or school and giving yourself permission to rest is essential for managing the condition.

• Educate Yourself: Knowledge is empowering. Understanding your condition and the available treatment options can help you make informed decisions about your health.

Consultation with a Healthcare Provider

Since endometriosis varies widely in its severity and impact on different individuals, it’s important to work closely with a healthcare provider to find the most appropriate treatment for your specific case. In some instances, a specialist in gynecology or reproductive health may be necessary for optimal care.

[mueritos]

Hello! Semi emergency trans question:

Is it true hrt makes u infertile? I have known it is a possible as with everything. I am a 24 yr old pre everything (testosterone and top) trans guy and saw the tiktoker rosemary and how she got all her stuff out for future children before she started hrt because she says hrt makes u infertile but idk if she was talking about estrogen or testosterone or both can. I wanna start t but I wnat to have children in the future do I need to start saving to harvest my eggs now or do I start t and then I can go off it ? I know everyone’s different but I just need advice.I’m semi broke so I’m like stressing

From what I know, estrogen can make you infertile if youre transfemme but this depends on a number of factors, like how long youve been on feminizing HRT and that persons specific relationship to fertility. Unsure if it’s reversible if youre off E, but I imagine its only reversible to a point.

Testosterone does not make you infertile and you CAN get pregnant on T or if you stop T to get pregnant. Some transmasc folks do freeze their eggs, but I follow a couple seahorse dads (mainly Kayden Coleman!) who have gotten pregnant and had children. This is why people say testosterone is NOT a birth control and just because it can stop your periods, it doesnt meant you cant get pregnant (chances are just low, but never zero).

Unless your family has fertility issues or you have other medical issues that can impact your fertility, you should be fine to start t, plan when you want kids, and then get off t to start trying. Its best you consult with your doctors and with whoever is going to be prescribing you T, and I would reach out to seahorse dads or find what information you can on trans fertility. There are a lot of informational subreddits online, but there are many seahorse dads online who Im sure would be happy to talk. Queer doulas may also be helpful if you want information on gender-affirming birth care.

hope that helped!